System and method for analyzing an image to determine spacing between a person and an object

Abstract

A computer-implemented system, method and computer-program product are configured to receive an image of a location from at least one image sensor device; analyze the image to determine a distance between a person and an object in the image; and output a control signal when the determined distance between the person and the object is below a predetermined threshold distance. The control signal causes an electronic device at the location to perform an action related to the distance between the person and the object. The object may be another person.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of determining a position of a person relative to an object, the method comprising:
 receiving an image of a location from an image sensor, the image depicting the person and the object;   analyzing the image to determine a distance between the person and the object;   comparing the determined distance between the person and the object to a predetermined threshold distance; and   outputting a control signal when the determined distance is less than the predetermined threshold distance, whereby the control signal is configured to control a controlled device in a manner related to the determined distance between the person and the object.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the object is a second person. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , whereby the control signal is configured to control a controlled device in a manner related to increasing the determined distance between the person and the object. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controlled device is one or more of a personal electronic device, a display terminal, an audio device, and a kiosk device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a plurality of images from the image sensor, analyzing each of the images to determine a distance between a person and an object, and outputting a control signal when the determined distance between the person and the object in any of the images is below a corresponding threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving at least one image from each of a plurality of image sensors, analyzing each of the images to determine a distance between a person and an object in the corresponding image, and outputting a corresponding control signal when the determined distance between the person and the object in any of the images is below a corresponding threshold. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location is a postal facility, the object is a second person, and the controlled device is a device configured to generate a warning indication to the person and/or to the second person. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location is a postal facility, the object is a terminal device, and the controlled device is a second terminal device that is controlled by the control signal to be turned off. 
     
     
         9 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving an image of a location from an image sensor, the image depicting a person and an object;   analyzing the image to determine a distance between the person and the object;   comparing the determined distance between the person and the object to a predetermined threshold; and   outputting a control signal when the determined distance is less than the predetermined threshold, whereby the control signal is configured to control a controlled device in a manner related to the determined distance between the person and the object.   
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the object is a second person. 
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , whereby the control signal is configured to control a controlled device in a manner related to increasing the determined distance between the person and the object. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the program instructions executable by the computing device cause the computing device to further perform operations comprising receiving a plurality of images from the image sensor, analyzing each of the images to determine a distance between a person and an object, and outputting a control signal when the determined distance between the person and the object in any of the images is below a corresponding threshold. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the program instructions executable by the computing device cause the computing device to further perform operations comprising receiving at least one image from a plurality of image sensors, analyzing each of the images to determine a distance between a person and an object in the corresponding image, and outputting a corresponding control signal when the determined distance between the person and the object in any of the images is below a corresponding threshold. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the controlled device is one of a personal electronic device, a display terminal, an audio device, and a kiosk device. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the location is a postal facility, the object is a second person, and the controlled device is a device configured to generate a warning indication to the person and/or to the second person. 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 a processor, a computer readable memory, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium associated with a computing device, and program instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:   receiving an image of a location from an image sensor, the image depicting a person and an object;   analyzing the image to determine a distance between the person and the object;   comparing the determined distance between the person and the object to a predetermined threshold; and   outputting a control signal when the determined distance is less than the predetermined threshold, whereby the control signal is configured to control a controlled device in a manner related to the determined distance between the person and the object.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the object is a second person. 
     
     
         18 . The system if  claim 16 , whereby the control signal is configured to control a controlled device in a manner related to increasing the determined distance between the person and the object 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the controlled device is an electronic device configured to convey an indicator to a person related to the determined distance. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , whereby the control signal is configured to control a plurality of controlled devices in a manner related to the determined distance between the person and the object.